The Week That Was, august 28, 2011

scotland Renaissance Men Get To Work

A top-100 ranking and a high-profile profession event could be on their way to Renaissance Golf Club in North Berwick, Scotland.

After two years of waiting impatiently, Jerry Sarvadi has broken ground on the new holes and the luxurious clubhouse that he believes will give his club world-class status.

“We've had conversations about these improvements with the European Tour and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, and that's why we're doing all this,” Sarvadi told the East Lothian Courier. “We feel like there's a high probability that at some point in the near future we will be hosting an event. I see us possibly hosting something like the Senior British Open or Scottish Open.”

Of course, big-time tournaments are routinely held in the neighborhood. Renaissance is located along the East Lothian coastline, just a short drive from some of the most famous clubs in world -- Muirfield Club, Archerfield Links Golf Club, and North Berwick Golf Club among them. In fact, Renaissance's new holes will take shape on property that formerly belonged to Muirfield.

I suppose it's just a happy coincidence that Tom Doak, the principal of Renaissance Golf Design, designed the existing 7,426-yard track at Renaissance Golf Club. The Traverse City, Michigan-based architect has designed four entirely new holes for his links-inspired layout and plans to modify two others. David Armitage, Renaissance’s pro, once told the Edinburgh News that the new site is “as rugged and nice as it gets” –- exactly the look and feel that Doak favors.

The new holes will take the course closer to the sea, and perhaps closer to a spot among Scotland's elites.

“I think if we do break into the top 100, that is a milestone; that's significant,” said Sarvadi, who's based in Jacksonville, Florida. “That's something we think would really set us apart.”

The new holes are scheduled to open in the summer of 2013, along with the four-story clubhouse.

canada Another Re-Start for Oceanview

The controversial, long-delayed Oceanview Golf Resort & Spa in British Columbia appears to have found a second (or maybe a third or fourth) life. A local newspaper reports that Oceanview's developer, Canadian Property Investments, “could start building out infrastructure for its golf course early next year.”

That would be nice. Because it's been a long haul for the community once called Cable Bay.

Oceanview is supposed to take shape on 420 acres in Nanaimo, the second-largest city on Vancouver Island. At build-out, it’s expected to consist of a marina with slips for up to 600 boats, a boutique hotel, a “wellness spa,” and an 18-hole “signature” golf course.

Of course, it’ll also have a supply of single-family houses, townhouses, villas, and condos. The number of units hasn't yet been settled, but Cable Bay's master plan called for up to 2,677.

Hence the controversy. Oceanview is the biggest residential project on Nanaimo's books, and large-scale communities almost always heat up passions. They can, and often do, have transformative effects.

Oceanview's golf course, designed by Gary Browning and Wade Horrocks of Browning Horrocks Golf Design, will be built in the first phase of the project. The duo's portfolio includes a course in British Columbia, at Copper Point Golf Club in Invermere, and two in Alberta, Coyote Creek Golf Course in Sundre and Stewart Creek Golf & Country Club in Canmore.

One last thing: Nanaimo is sometimes called “the Bathtub Racing Capital of the World.”